


The Cardinal | Sam Winchester | Book One

by elizabethmae



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Blood and Gore, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fire, Fire Powers, Original Character Death(s), POV Female Character, Romance, Self-Discovery, Sex, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Top Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:54:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27013078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethmae/pseuds/elizabethmae
Summary: Beth O’Connell is used to having rotten luck, so it’s no surprise that the moment she and her brother step foot in New York City from their home in London, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of chaos, death, and the paranormal. Right in the center of it all are two mysterious FBI agents who are not all that they seem, and as she grows obsessed with learning the truth, she begins to uncover the buried secrets of her past, which begs the question: is anything in her life real?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Elizabeth O'Connell, Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starts mid-season 2 and the timeline gets screwy; lots of time skips but it follows major plot lines closely.  
> Disclaimer: All rights for "Supernatural" go to The CW.

“Elizabeth? Elizabeth O’Connell? Can you tell us what happened?” I look past the detective questioning me from beside my place on the edge of the ambulance, and towards the men standing off to the side of the scene. When my gaze meets the taller one's, I know what I have to do. His expression tells a thousand words, and in his eyes I don’t see sympathy or sadness, just...resolution. And understanding. I want nothing more than for this entire thing to be a dream. I want to wake up the next morning to the smell of my brother making coffee and blaring that god awful country music he had become obsessed with ever since he discovered it in his "research" of America. I want to see him grin at me and sing along to the lyrics in his beautiful voice that makes the birds stop and listen to him, and the songs become almost bearable. And I want him to hug me the way I don’t let anyone else - long and tight and safe and warm. But we can’t have everything we want. Still, sometimes it seems I can’t have anything I want. Not even my brother back.

I look away from the men carefully watching me and back at the detective with pity in her eyes and a notepad in her hand. Her blonde hair is pulled back tight in a bun, and she wears one of those power suits that I could never make work for myself. I open my mouth to respond to her question, but no sound comes out. My eyes close briefly as I try to regain my bearings, and when they open again, my emotions are steeled enough that I can manage to tell a lie without completely breaking down. 

I give her a fake half smile and nod slowly. “Sure. Let me take you back to the beginning…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm new to this website, so bear with me. Supernatural is my absolute FAVORITE show, and I've been planning for this story for a while, so I am incredibly excited to bring it to life. Future chapters will be much longer. I do not have a set update schedule, nor can I promise very quick updates, but I know exactly where I want this story to go so I have plenty of motivation. 
> 
> Lmk what you think in the comments!
> 
> -Ophelia xox


	2. Welcome to New York (Taylor Swift)

"So, you're saying there's no possibility that ghosts are real." I roll my eyes in response to my brother's statement, something I only ever do around him. 

"I'm saying it's highly unlikely, isn't it? Wouldn't there be proof? Good, solid proof," I say, when he opens his mouth to contradict me. "Not just absurd theories made by a bunch of nutters who live in their mum's basement." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Andrew's lips stretch into a smile and smirk to myself as I look back out the window to an endless sea of puffy white clouds below us. 

The flight attendant comes by with refreshments, and I take a water. Anything else will result in nausea, as this is my first time flying, and I'm anxious enough as it is. A couple of minutes pass by before the comfortable silence between us is interrupted.

"I've thought about it now, and, well, basically anyone who claims to have seen something paranormal, or even provides proof would automatically be labeled as a nutter. Maybe they're right and just seem insane because everybody assumes they are." I turn my head to stare at him for a few seconds and look out at the sky again. 

"Don't think too hard about this, you might pull a muscle." Andrew slaps my arm. "Ouch," I say in a bored voice. "Chew on this, Andy. If ghosts are out there, then what else is real? Gremlins? Dwarves? The bogeyman?" I don't look at him, but I can feel his eyes rolling from beside me, ten times more exaggerated than when I did it. "I'm just saying, if you're headed in that direction, you need to go all in. Next thing you know you'll be worshiping the Dark Lord Satan." 

"Yeah, right, imagine me in a satanic cult," Andrew says, his grin audible in his voice. "In my personal opinion, that's more your arena." This time I turn to face him, my eyes and mouth stretched wide as I hold a hand up to my chest dramatically.

"How dare you? I'm an angel."

"Yeah, that's what you let everyone think."

I punch him in the side, which apparently merits a jab to the ribs. A small shriek escapes my lips, and several people turn to stare at us, making my cheeks burn in embarrassment. 

"Now look what you've done," I whisper to my brother, whose eyes twinkle mischievously in return. I release a long sigh. This should be a cheery ride.

Several hours later, and my anxiety begins to grow. I bounce my leg in anticipation as I stare at the book in my lap without actually reading the words, my clenched hands grasping the paperback tightly. Andrew looks over at me, notices this, and leans away from me so that his arm is no longer touching me. Some of my nerves calm when skin contact is broken, but I feel the need to speak up.

"What are we going to do?" Andy looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "When we get to America, I mean. I dunno, it just feels like we didn't really plan anything, we just packed up and left."

My brother takes a deep breath. "Listen, Liz. I know you like to have everything planned out and written down. I know you like to be prepared for everything and I know you like to play it safe. But sometimes, Lizzy...sometimes you just gotta take a chance." His eyebrows crease in the middle as he gauges my reaction, and my body relaxes even more as I meet his light brown stare. 

"Yeah, I suppose." My grip on the novel loosens, but I still don't read the printed text before me. I'm excited; of course I am. When we arrive in New York, I'll be able to take my photography and video production to a whole new level. My life was always kind of shitty from the moment I was born. Maybe now I'd get to explore that burning calling I feel inside me every day, pulling me in all sorts of directions, telling me that this is not my life, and this is not who I am. It's strange, though. I like who I am; I do. And yet, I can't shake the feeling that my blood is fighting against everything I believe in.

I shake my head and blink a couple times to clear my thoughts. Beside me, my brother's fast asleep. I smirk at the slight drool leaking from the corner of his mouth and think about nudging him awake, when the Captain's voice fills the cabin, announcing the New York skyline, now visible in the distance. My brother wakes up with a start, and I would laugh, but I'm too mesmerized by the sight before me.

Hundreds of buildings, tall, short, wide, and thin greet me from thousands of feet below in the distance. I can make out the Statue of Liberty and a small smile plays on my face. This is a chance for me to start over. This is a chance for me to decide who I want to be.

"Wow," I breathe out, blown away by the largeness of it all. London is a big city overflowing with buildings as well, but here is a whole other world I've never seen before, opportunities ripe for the taking. 

"What do you think of that, then?" Andrew asks me in a distant tone. I shake my head, unable to say much of anything. 

We land without much ceremony, excepting the sickening lurch that the descent brings upon my stomach, and then, just like that, we're filing off the plane, going through the airport, and although it takes a while, I'm known to be a patient person. The excitement bubbling inside me causes me to get lost in my thoughts, so the entire process doesn't seem long at all.

I feel like I'm in an alternate dimension as my brother and I take a cab to our flat - oh, sorry, apartment - which we had purchased online weeks ago. There's an eerie sense of familiarity to everything, and yet it's completely different. Gigantic screens and billboards are plastered everywhere, flashing with adverts, movie posters, and just about anything you could possibly think of. Skyscrapers tower above us and little shops squat close to the ground. 

Everything seems so big and, looking at the overwhelming sights around me, trying to take it all in, I feel incredibly small, like a tiny grain of sand in a desert. 

The size and extravagance of the city leaves me feeling underwhelmed as I step foot into our new flat. The emptiness of the place catches me off guard, and for a moment I'm incredibly disappointed. 

"Wow," I mutter. "It's, ah...nice." 

"What are you talking about?" Andrew asks me. "Look at this. A new home, a new life. We can do whatever we want to, Lizzy," I smile at the thought.

"You're right," I say, looking around the room and picturing a chair here, a picture frame there. This could work. "Hold on." I pull out my camera and begin taking photographs

"Uh, Lizzy?" I pause for a second.

"Yes?"

"Why are you taking pictures of an empty room?" I pretend to look offended.

"It's for art," I say dramatically, placing a hand on my chest. "You wouldn't understand." Andrew laughs loudly.

"Right, just like you don't understand how to work a computer." 

"Mhm, that's what I have you for." I finish up with the photos and decide to edit them after unpacking a bit. Most of our belongings would be arriving later via sea freight, so it didn't take long to set up what we had. We decided we would purchase most of our furniture the following day. 

"You know, you're going to have to find a real job if freelancing doesn't work out," my brother tells me as I look over the pictures on my laptop.

"Have you no faith?" I ask distantly as I scale the resolution of one photo down. "Don't worry, I know how to find a job-" I'm cut off by our light flickering above us. "Are you serious? Don't tell me you found the flat with electrical problems, too." I sigh, turning the lights off and back on again.

"A little spooky, don't you think?" Andrew sports a mysterious grin. 

"Sure, if you're scared of faulty light bulbs. Looks like it's working now." The lights returns to their steady glow. I sigh and turn to face him. "Wanna go out?"

"Do you?" my brother asks in surprise. Normally, large crowds freak me out, but tonight I feel different. Like I can do anything and still not be afraid. 

"Yeah," I say, rubbing my arms. "It'd be nice to explore the area a bit." He shrugs and nods, grabbing his jacket before holding the door open for me. I smirk as I walk by. "I bet your boyfriends love it when you do that."

"Shut up."

As we walk past the room next to ours, a sudden chill passes through me, and I shiver. "Why is it so cold?"

"You're always cold, Liz," Andy tells me, receiving a glare in return. "Let's go." 

I begin regretting my decision the moment I step outside, once again overwhelmed by the bright lights and loud noises surrounding me. "Suppose I'll have to get used to this now," I murmur. When I spare a glance Andrew's way, he frowns.

"It's not too different from London."

"No. But at least I knew the place." I bite my lip and begin walking along the pavement. 

An endless row of shops line the streets and I immediately want to go inside all of them. We stick to the buildings close to our flat, which include a warm, well-lit coffeehouse, a small, cozy bookshop, a few clothing and accessory shops, and finally, a nice but relatively inexpensive Indian restaurant. 

As we eat, I can feel Andy's eyes burning a hole in my head, so I look up to meet them. "What?"

He looks away and takes a mouthful of curry. "Nothing, you just seem different." I raise an eyebrow at him. "I mean, you've been acting differently these past few weeks. Maybe even months." 

"You're an idiot." 

A few moments pass and we eat our meal in silence. I know he wants to say something but is thinking about how to phrase it by the way he pokes at his food.

"Is there something you have to say?" I ask, fed up with the tension.

He sighs through his nose and puts his spoon down. "Do you think maybe it's time for you to start dating again?" 

I stare at him for a moment before leaning back in my chair. "We're not having this conversation."

"I just mean...New York, new life, you know? It'd be nice for you to start fresh. Go out a bit, meet new people."

I snort. "I can meet new people perfectly well without having to date them. Just because you flirt with everyone you meet doesn't mean I have to." 

"No, but...it's been two years."

"Don't do that," I whisper. "Don't you dare lecture me about that when you have no idea what it was like. None." My spoon clatters as it falls into my bowl of butter chicken and I place my head in my hands.

"I'm sorry, Liz," my brother says softly.

I blink a few times and take a shaky breath. "Can we just get the bill, please?" He stares at me for a few seconds before nodding and waving a waiter over.

It's dark outside when we leave the restaurant, and the cool air feels good on my skin for a change. I take a few deep breaths and relax as exhaustion begins to seep into my bones. My emotions are raw from whiplash, but I feel strangely at peace as I walk back home with my brother by my side.

Upon arriving back at our flat, I create a makeshift bed out of blankets and pillows for the night. Andrew and I had made mental notes of a couple furniture shops we had seen both throughout the evening as well as online, waiting to be visited tomorrow.

"Hey, Lizzy!" I look up from my laptop towards Andrew. "Come take a look at this." 

"I don't feel like moving. Just tell me." 

"You might just be the laziest person I know," he says in annoyance. "Whatever. Get this. I've been reading up on the place, and it turns out that electrical shortages and cold temperatures aren't uncommon here."

"Fabulous," I sigh.

"No, I mean, they've had all sorts of technicians come by, but no one can explain it. So, you see, flickering lights are spooky."

"What?" I ask in exasperation.

"Maybe it's a ghost."

"And we're done." I disappear into the bathroom to change my clothes and begin my nightly routine when I hear screams nearby. 

"What the hell?" I hear my brother say, and I step outside to see what's going on. Shouts and other concerning noises come from the room next to us. Andrew bangs on the door. "You alright, mate?" he asks. Silence. My heart begins to beat faster as he turns the doorknob, which is surprisingly unlocked. He had probably just gotten home. "What the hell...?" he repeats, his voice barely a whisper now. I look through the doorway and let out a strangled gasp.

In the center of the room, a man hangs from the ceiling, his skin pale and eyes stretched wide. 

He was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes the first chapter! I'll be using songs as chapter titles for every chapter in the future. Hopefully I won't run out of good song choices. Just so you know, I'm also publishing this story on Wattpad (my account is @keres-the-demon) and Quotev (@ElizabethMae), so if you prefer to read there, go ahead.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think in the comments!
> 
> -Ophelia xox


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